How to stack cards to get the most on your everyday spending

January 12, 2021

Some of the offers mentioned below are no longer available.

Running an errand to fill up your gas tank or restock your pantry may not be the most glamorous part of your day, but, with the right cash back card, you can make those everyday tasks much more rewarding.

Best credit card combinations for everyday spending

For Amex loyalists
For maximizing points
For maximizing cash back

There are many cash back credit cards that offer bonus rewards on everyday purchases such as gas and groceries. One of our favorites is the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which gives you a whopping 6% cash back on U.S. supermarket purchases and (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, 1% thereafter), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services 3% cash back on transit and U.S. gas station purchases and 1% cash back on everything else.

The card does charge a $95 annual fee, but we think thatÂ fee is well worth it if you want to earn the most cash back on your everyday spending. We figure that the average shopper who spends $15,900 on the card would earn around $323 in cash back each year.

Estimated yearly rewards: Amex Blue Cash Preferred

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Average rewards rate	Estimated cash back earnedÂ (after annual fee)
6% U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases, 1% thereafter) 6%Â select U.S. streaming services 3% transit and U.S. gas stations 1% other purchases	2.63%	$323

Even better, you can push your rewards rate higher by pairing the Blue Cash Preferred card with credit cards that offer bonuses on other categories of purchases. Here are some of the best card pairings for the American Express Blue Cash Preferred card.

Combination one: Amex all the way

If you love American Express cards, or you just want to keep things as simple as possible for yourself by sticking to a single issuer â the American Express Cash Magnet® Card that offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase makes a great partner to the Blue Cash Preferred card.

See related: Which 1.5% cash back card is right for you?

By swapping in the Cash Magnet card to earn 1.5% cash back on purchases that donât qualify for a bonus with the Blue Cash Preferred card, the average cardholder can push their cash back rate to 2.91%, amounting to $368 in cash back with $15,900 yearly credit card spend.

Estimated yearly rewards: Blue Cash Preferred + Amex Cash Magnet

Combined rewards	Average rewards rate	Estimated cash back earnedÂ (after annual fee)
6% U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases, 1% thereafter) with the Blue Cash Preferred card 6%Â select U.S. streaming services with the Blue Cash Preferred card 3% transit and U.S. gas stations with the Blue Cash Preferred card 1.5% other purchases with the Cash Magnet card	2.91%	$368

Combination two: Maximizing points

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® is another great card to pair with the American Express Blue Cash Preferred card. Just like the Cash Magnet card, it offers at least 1.5% cash back on every purchase. However, the rewards that you earn with the Freedom Unlimited card are a little more versatile than the Cash Magnet card and it comes with additional cash back categories: 5% on Chase Ultimate Rewards travel, plus 3% on dining and drugstore purchases. You can transfer them to certain Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, including the Chase Sapphire PreferredÂ® Card*, which awards a 25% bonus on those points when you redeem them for travel for the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.

If you prefer to earn points rather than cash back on purchases that fall outside the Blue Cash Preferred cardâs bonus categories, Ultimate Rewards cards are a great way to go:

Estimated yearly rewards:Â Amex Blue Cash Preferred + Chase Freedom Unlimited

Combined rewards	Average rewards rate	Estimated cash back earnedÂ (after annual fee)
6% U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases, 1% thereafter) with the Blue Cash Preferred card 6%Â select U.S. streaming services with the Blue Cash Preferred card 5%Â Chase Ultimate Rewards travel with the Freedom Unlimited card 3%Â dining and drugstore purchases with the Freedom Unlimited card 3%Â transit & U.S. gas stations with the Blue Cash Preferred card 1.5% other purchases with the Freedom Unlimited card	3.49%	$459.91

Combination three: Maximizing cash back

If you prefer cash back rewards and want to earn the most cash back possible, the Citi® Double Cash Card and the Blue Cash Preferred cards is one of the ultimate card pairings. The Citi Double Cash card offers up to 2% back on every purchase â 1% when you make the purchase and another 1% when you pay your bill on time.

Combined with the Blue Cash Preferred card, the Citi Double Cash card pushes the rewards rate to 3.19% cash back for the average cardholder. We figure that a cardholder who spends around $15,900 per year on these two cards can earn nearly $412 in cash back per year.

Estimated yearly rewards: Amex Blue Cash Preferred + Citi Double Cash

Combined rewards	Average rewards rate	Estimated cash back earnedÂ (after annual fee)
6% U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases, 1% thereafter) with the Blue Cash Preferred card 6%Â select U.S. streaming services with the Blue Cash Preferred card 3%Â transit & U.S. gas stations with the Blue Cash Preferred card 2% other purchases with the Citi Double Cash card	3.19%	$412

Hot List Names